Adjustable Hats Including Eyelets

ABSTRACT

In some embodiments, a head wearable element may include at least one sidewall configured to form a headband having an opening. The head wearable element may further include a first eyelet extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to a first side of the opening, and may include a second eyelet extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to a second side of the opening opposite to the first side.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a non-provisional of and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/113,373 filed on Feb. 6, 2015 and entitled “Adjustable Hats Including Eyelits”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure is generally related to adjustable headwear, and more particularly to headwear that includes openings to receive a string, a fabric element, a strap, or other tying element to adjust a headband size of the headwear.

BACKGROUND

A hat can be useful to shade a user's head from the sun. The brim of a hat or visor may also be useful to shade a user's eyes from the sun. Further, a hat or visor may be a keen fashion accessory.

SUMMARY

In some embodiments, a hat or visor may include a headband portion that includes one or more eyelets. A string, a rope, a chain, a length of fabric, or another fastener may be threaded through the eyelets and may be pulled to adjust a circumferential size of the headband.

In some embodiments, a head wearable element may include at least one sidewall configured to form a headband having an opening. The head wearable element may further include a first eyelet extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to a first side of the opening, and may include a second eyelet extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to a second side of the opening opposite to the first side.

In other embodiments, a hat may include a headband having an opening. The hat may further include a first pair of eyelets extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to a first side of the opening. The hat may also include a second pair of eyelets extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to a second side of the opening opposite to the first side

In still other embodiments, an apparatus may include a headband including a first end and a second end. The headband may form a substantially circular shape with an opening. The apparatus may further include a first pair of eyelets extending through the first end adjacent to the opening, and may include a second pair of eyelets extending through the second end adjacent to the opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective rear views of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective rear views of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are top plan views of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are side views of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are perspective rear views of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a photo of a rear view of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a photo of a close-up rear view of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a photo of a close-up rear view of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a collage of three photos of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a photo of a rear view of a portion of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a photo of a rear view of a portion of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a photo of a side rear view of a portion of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a photo of a rear view of a portion of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of an adjustable visor including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a headband of the adjustable hat of FIG. 1 taken along line 16-16 in FIG. 1.

In the following discussion, the same reference numbers are used in the various embodiments to indicate the same or similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of an adjustable head wearable element, such as a hats, a visor, and the like, are described below that may include at least one eyelet along a headband portion of the wearable element. In some embodiments, the adjustable head wearable element may include a headband portion that extends circumferentially about a bottom portion and that includes an opening at a rear portion. The head wearable element may also include eyelets that extend through a portion of a sidewall adjacent to the opening. A first eyelet may extend through the sidewall on a first side of the opening and a second eyelet may extend through the sidewall on a second side of the opening. An elongate fastener, such as a string, a rope, a chain, a length of fabric, or another fastener may be threaded through the eyelets and may be pulled to adjust a circumferential size of the headband. Further, the ends of the elongate fastener may be tied or otherwise secured to maintain the adjusted circumferential size of the headband.

In some embodiments, the adjustable head wearable element may include multiple eyelets, which may be arranged in a straight line or which may be arranged in other configurations. Further, the eyelets, the elongate fastener, or any combination thereof may provide an adjustment mechanism and may also provide a stylistic component, allowing the user to change the look of the head wearable element by changing the elongate fastener (different color, different style, different material, etc.) or by attaching decorations to the elongate fastener. One possible embodiment of an adjustable head wearable element is described below with respect to FIGS. 1A-1B.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective rear views of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 1A includes an adjustable hat 100 that may include a head covering portion 102 and a brim 104. Further, the adjustable hat 100 may include a head band 105 (shown in phantom) that extends along a bottom portion of the head covering portion 102 from a first side of an opening 106, behind the brim, and to a second side of the opening 106. The adjustable hat 100 may include one or more eyelets 108 on the first side of the opening. The adjustable hat 100 may include one or more eyelets 110 on the second side of the opening. The eyelets 108 and 110 may be made of metal, plastic, or other substantially rigid material and may extend through the sidewall of the head covering portion 102. The eyelets 108 and 110 may define openings or passages through the sidewall, which may allow a fastener to extend therethrough. In some embodiments, the eyelets 108 and 110 may extend only through the sidewall portion but not through the headband 105 of the adjustable hat 100. In some embodiments, the eyelets 108 and 110 may extend through the sidewall portion and the headband 105 of the adjustable hat 100.

Turning now to FIG. 1B, an adjustable hat with eyelets is depicted and generally designated 120. The adjustable hat 120 may be the same as the adjustable hat 100 in FIG. 1A, except that a user may have threaded the eyelets 108 and 110 with an elongate fastener 122, which may be tied or otherwise fastened to maintain an inner diameter of the adjustable hat 120. In the illustrated example, the elongate fastener 122 may be a shoelace, a string, a chain, a bandana, a leather strip, a chain, or other fastener. In some embodiments, the elongate fastener 122 may be formed of a flexible material, such as a fabric, a string, or other material, or may be formed of a relatively light-weight chain.

It should be appreciated that the ends of the elongate fastener 122 may tied together or knotted, or they may be secured by a fastener mechanism, which may be coupled to one or both of the ends of the elongate fastener. In some embodiments, the adjustable hat 100 may include two or more eyelets, such as the eyelets 108 and 110, which may be positioned in various configurations to facilitate adjustment and for ornamental purposes. Embodiments the adjustable hat are described below with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B, which embodiments include three eyelets.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective rear views of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2A includes an adjustable hat 200, which may include the head covering portion 102 and the brim 104. Further, the adjustable hat 200 may include the rear opening 106. The adjustable hat 200 may further include eyelets 208 on a first side of the rear opening 106 and may also include eyelets 210 on a second side of the rear opening 106. The eyelets 208 may be substantially aligned in a vertical direction (relative to the bottom of the hat 200) and the eyelets 210 may be substantially aligned in the vertical direction as well. Additionally, the eyelets 208 may be substantially aligned horizontally with respect to the eyelets 210.

In some embodiments, the eyelets 208 and 210 may extend through an outer sidewall of the adjustable hat 200, and at least one of the eyelets 208 and 210 may be at least partially covered by an internal headband portion (not shown in FIGS. 2A or 2B), which may provide a cushion between the eyelets 208 and 210 (and an associated elongate fastener, such as the elongate fastener 122 in FIG. 1) and a user's head.

Referring now to FIG. 2B, a perspective rear view of the adjustable hat including eyelets is shown and generally indicated at 220. The adjustable hat 220 may include three eyelets 222, 224, and 226 on a first side of the opening 106 and three eyelets 232, 234, and 236 on a second side of the opening 106. In the illustrated example, the eyelets 222, 224, and 226 may not be aligned vertically, and the eyelets 232, 234, and 236 may not be aligned vertically. However, the eyelets 222 and 232 may be substantially aligned horizontally; the eyelets 224 and 234 may be substantially aligned horizontally; and the eyelets 226 and 236 may be substantially aligned horizontally. In a particular example, the eyelet 224 may be spaced further away from the opening 106 as compared to the eyelets 222 and 226; and the eyelet 234 may be spaced further away from the opening 106 than the eyelets 232 and 236.

In some embodiments, a user may weave an elongate fastener, such as a string, a shoelace, or other fastener, through one or more of the eyelets 222, 224, and 226 and through one or more of the eyelets 232, 234, and 236. The user may pull the elongate fastener to a desired tension to adjust a circumference of a headband of the adjustable hat 220, and may tie or otherwise secure the elongate fastener to maintain the adjusted size.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are top plan views of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3A depicts a top view of an adjustable hat 300 that may include a head covering portion 102 and a brim 104. The adjustable hat 300 may further include eyelets 302 and 304 on opposite sides of a rear opening. The adjustable hat 300 also may include an elongate fastener 306 (such as the elongate fastener 122 of FIG. 1), which may be laced through the eyelets and tied or otherwise fastened to achieve a desired size adjustment.

Referring now to FIG. 3B, a top view of an adjustable hat including eyelets is depicted and generally indicated at 320. The adjustable hat 320 may include eyelets 322 and 324 on a first side of the rear opening, and may include eyelets 326 and 328 on a second side of the opening.

In some embodiments, the elongate fastener 306 may be laced through one or more of the eyelets 322 and 324 and through one or more of the eyelets 326 and 328. The elongate fastener 306 may be pulled to adjust the size of the adjustable hat 320 and may be secured to maintain the adjusted size.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are side views of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4A depicts a side view of an adjustable hat 400. The adjustable hat 400 may include eyelets 402 and 404, which may be adjacent to the rear opening 106.

Referring now to FIG. 4B, an adjustable hat is depicted and generally indicated at 420. The adjustable hat 420 may include the eyelets 402 and 404. Further, the adjustable hat 420 may include an elongate fastener 422 (such as the elongate fastener 122 in FIG. 1), which may be laced through the eyelets 402 and 404 and through corresponding eyelets (not shown) on the opposite side of the opening and the elongate fastener 422 may be tied to adjust the size of the adjustable hat 420.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are perspective rear views of an adjustable hat including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5A depicts a perspective rear view of an adjustable hat 500, which may include a headband 502 (depicted in phantom), which may extend from a first side of the opening 106 along a bottom of the adjustable hat 500, behind the brim 104, and to a second side of the opening 126. The adjustable hat 500 may further include eyelets 508 on a first side of the opening 106 and eyelets 510 on a second side of the opening 106. The eyelets 508 and 510 may be positioned such that they are substantially aligned with the headband 502. The eyelets 508 and 510 may extend through the sidewall of the adjustable hat 500, but not through the headband 502, allowing the headband 502 to isolate the eyelets 508 and 510 from a user's head.

Referring now to FIG. 5B, an adjustable hat is shown and generally indicated at 520. The adjustable hat 520 may include eyelets 522 and 524, which may be aligned with the headband 502. Further, the adjustable hat 520 may include additional eyelets, such as eyelets 526 and 528, which may extend through the sidewall of the adjustable hat 520 above the headband 502.

In some embodiments, an elongate fastener (such as the elongate fastener 122 in FIG. 1) may be laced through one or more of the eyelets 522, 524, 526, and 528 and may be tied to adjust the adjustable hat 520. In some embodiments, a second fastener may be laced through the eyelets 526 and 528 and may not be pulled as tight as the first elongate fastener, providing an ornamental feature for the adjustable hat 520, which feature may not contribute to the fit of the adjustable hat 520. In some embodiments, a user may weave an elongate fastener through all of the eyelets or through selected ones of the eyelets 522, 524, 526, and 528 and may tighten the fit of the adjustable hat 520 may pulling the elongate fastener.

Turning now to FIG. 5C, an adjustable hat is shown and generally indicated at 540. The adjustable hat 540 may include eyelets 542 and 544 on opposite sides of the opening 106. The eyelets 542 may include a first eyelet aligned with the headband 502 and a second eyelet above the headband 502. The eyelets 544 may include a first eyelet aligned with the headband 502 and a second eyelet above the headband 502. Other configurations are also possible.

FIG. 6 is a photo of a rear view of an adjustable hat 600 including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The adjustable hat 600 includes two eyelets on either side of a rear opening and includes a string-type lace woven through the eyelets and tied to provide a desired circumferential fit. In the illustrated example, the adjustable hat 600 includes two eyelets on either side of the rear opening. In this example, the two eyelets are aligned with the hat band on either side and can be cinched to adjust the circumferential size of the head band to a desired fit.

FIG. 7 is a photo of a close-up rear view of an adjustable hat 700 including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the illustrated example, the adjustable hat 700 includes an elongate fastener that is of a rope or woven-type that is woven through the eyelets.

FIG. 8 is a photo of a close-up rear view of an adjustable hat 800 including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The adjustable hat 800 may include an elongate fastener that is formed from a chain, such as a gold necklace-type chain that may be woven through one or more of the eyelets. Other types of functional fasteners, decorative fasteners, or any combination thereof may be used to adjust the hat 800.

FIG. 9 is a collage of three photos of an adjustable hat 900 including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The adjustable hat 900 may include a sports teams' logo, such as the Chicago Bull's logo as well as other stenciling. In the illustrated example, a rope-style elongate fastener may be woven through one or more of the eyelets.

FIG. 10 is a photo of a rear view of a portion of an adjustable hat 1000 including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The adjustable hat 1000 may be a beanie style hat or may be a baseball-type cap worn backwards. A string-type or rope-type of elongate fastener may be woven through the eyelets, as shown. In the illustrated example, the adjustable hat 1000 includes two eyelets on either side of the opening.

FIG. 11 is a photo of a rear view of a portion of an adjustable hat 1100 including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The adjustable hat 1100 may include one or more eyelets and may include a shoelace-type elongate fastener woven through the eyelets. In the illustrated example, the adjustable hat 1100 includes two eyelets on either side of the opening.

FIG. 12 is a photo of a side rear view of a portion of an adjustable hat 1200 including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the adjustable hat 1200 may include two eyelets on either side of the rear opening and may include a shoelace type of elongate fastener woven through the eyelets. In the illustrated example, the adjustable hat 1200 includes two eyelets on either side of the opening.

It should be appreciated that the eyelets may be formed from metal, rigid plastic, or other material or may be sown into the sidewall of the adjustable hat to form an opening through which the elongate fastener may be laced. In some embodiments, the eyelet color may be chosen to match a selected color or to provide an accent color. Further, while the eyelets have been shown to be substantially circular, it should be understood that the eyelets may be formed from other shapes, such as triangles, squares, stars, and other geometric shapes.

FIG. 13 is a photo of a rear view of a portion of an adjustable hat 1300 including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The adjustable hat 1300 may include one or more eyelets on either side of the rear opening. The eyelets may have a color selected to blend or match with the fabric color. In the illustrated example, the adjustable hat 1300 includes two eyelets on either side of the opening that may be selected to have a color that matches or complements the coloring of the hat 1300. In an example, an olive green hat may be paired with brown eyelets. Other color selections may also be possible.

While the above-discussion has been directed to baseball-style caps and hats, it should be appreciated that the eyelets may be used with other types of adjustable headwear, such as visors and other types of headwear. One possible example of an embodiment of a visor with eyelets is described below with respect to FIG. 14.

FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of an adjustable visor 1400 including eyelets 1408 and 1410, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The adjustable visor 1400 may include a headband portion 1402 and a brim 1404. Further, the headband portion 1402 may be discontinuous, defining an opening 1406. The eyelets 1408 may be included on an opposite side of the opening 1406 from the eyelets 1410. Further, an elongate fastener 1422 may be woven through the eyelets 1408 and 1410 and may be tied to achieve a suitable fit for the adjustable visor 1400 relative to a user's head.

While only two eyelets 1408 are shown on a first side and only two eyelets 1410 are shown on a second side, it should be appreciated that one eyelet or more than two eyelets may be included without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, while a string type of elongate fastener 1422 is shown, it should be appreciated that other, more decorative fasteners may be used, such as a bandana, a chain, or another type of fastener. Further, a bow, a pin, or another type of decorative item may be attached to the elongate fastener 1422 to provide additional ornamentation.

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of an adjustable hat 1500 including eyelets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The adjustable hat 1500 may include an interior portion 1508, which is sized to fit and provide cover for a user's head. The adjustable hat 1500 may further include an exterior sidewall portion 1502, which may extend around an external circumference of the adjustable hat 1500. Further, the adjustable hat 1500 may include a headband or liner portion 1504, which may extend along a bottom portion of the interior of the adjustable hat, extending around an internal circumference of the adjustable hat. The adjustable hat 1500 may further include an opening and may include eyelets 1510 and 1512 on opposite sides of the opening. In the illustrated example, the adjustable hat 1500 may include an elongate fastener 1514, which may extend through the eyelet 1510 and between the exterior sidewall portion 1502 and the headband or liner portion 1504 to the opening. The elongate fastener 1514 may span the opening and may extend between the exterior sidewall portion 1502 and the headband or liner portion 1504 on the opposite side of the opening and then may extend through the eyelet 1512.

As discussed above, the elongate fastener 1514 may extend between the exterior sidewall portion 1502 and the headband or liner portion 1504 for a short distance between the opening 1506 and the eyelets 1510 and 1512 on both sides of the opening. Thus, the headband or liner portion 1504 may protect a user's head from both the eyelets 1510 and 1512 and from the elongate fastener 1514. In some embodiments, one or more of the eyelets may be above the headband or liner portion 1504.

In an example, the elongate fastener 1514 may be a string, a chain, a ribbon of fabric, a shoelace, another fastener, or any combination thereof. Further, in some embodiments, the elongate fastener 514 may include a clip or other cinching element.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a portion 1600 of a headband of the adjustable hat of FIG. 1 taken along line 16-16 in FIG. 1. The portion 1600 includes the eyelet 110 with the elongate fastener 122 extending through the eyelet 110. Further, the portion 1600 may include the headband or liner portion 1604 and an exterior sidewall portion 1602, which may cooperate to define a passage 1606 through which the elongate fastener 122 may extend from the eyelet 110 to the opening 106.

It should be appreciated that the exterior sidewall portion and the headband or liner portion 1604 may be sown together or otherwise attached along a bottom edge of the adjustable hat. Further, it should be appreciated that a corresponding passage may be formed on the other side of the opening 106 to allow the elongate fastener 122 to extend to the opposing eyelet (e.g., eyelet 108 in FIG. 1).

While the illustrated examples have included various types of eyelets, it should be appreciated that any structure that allows the elongate fastener to extend through the exterior sidewall of the adjustable hat may serve as an eyelet. Further, in some embodiments, the eyelet may simply be an opening through the exterior sidewall, which opening may be reinforced with stitching or an object to prevent tearing.

In conjunction with the devices and methods described herein with respect to FIGS. 1-16, an adjustable head-wearable element is described that includes one or more eyelets. Further, in some embodiments, the adjustable head-wearable element may include a fastener, such as a string, a piece of fabric, a chain, or another fastener, which may be woven or laced through one or more of the eyelets and may be fastened to adjust a fit of the adjustable hat. Further, in some embodiments, one or more eyelets may be used to attach ornamentation to the element. Other embodiments are also possible.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A head wearable element comprising: at least one sidewall configured to form a headband having an opening; and a first eyelet extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to a first side of the opening; and a second eyelet extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to a second side of the opening opposite to the first side.
 2. The head wearable element of claim 1, further comprising a flexible fastener configured to extend through the first eyelet and the second eyelet and to adjust a size of the opening to adjust a circumference of the headband.
 3. The head wearable element of claim 1, further comprising: a third eyelet extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to the first side and spaced apart from the first eyelet; and a fourth eyelet extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to the second side and spaced apart from the second eyelet.
 4. The head wearable element of claim 1, further comprising: a third eyelet extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to the first side and vertically aligned with and spaced apart from the first eyelet; and a fourth eyelet extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to the second side and vertically aligned with and spaced apart from the second eyelet.
 5. The head wearable element of claim 1, further comprising: at least one third eyelet extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to the first side and spaced apart from the first eyelet; and at least one second eyelet extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to the second side and spaced apart from the second eyelet.
 6. The head wearable element of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall comprises at least one fabric panel forming a head covering portion of a hat with a brim.
 7. The head wearable element of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall comprises a visor.
 8. The head wearable element of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall comprises at least one of a beanie cap and a bucket hat.
 9. A hat comprising: a headband having an opening; a first pair of eyelets extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to a first side of the opening; and a second pair of eyelets extending through the at least one sidewall adjacent to a second side of the opening opposite to the first side.
 10. The hat of claim 9, wherein the first pair of eyelets includes a first eyelet and a second eyelet, each of the first eyelet and the second eyelet spaced from the opening by a distance.
 11. The hat of claim 9, wherein the first pair of eyelets includes: a first eyelet spaced from the opening by a first distance; and a second eyelet is spaced from the opening by a second distance.
 12. The hat of claim 9, further comprising an elongate fastener threaded through the first and second pairs of eyelets and configured to draw the first pair toward the second pair to adjust a circumferential size of the head band.
 13. The hat of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first pair of eyelets and the second pair of eyelets includes an eyelet having a non-circular shape.
 14. The hat of claim 9, further comprising: a fabric hat portion coupled to the headband and forming an outer surface; and wherein the first pair of eyelets and the second pair of eyelets extend through the fabric hat portion and through the headband.
 15. An apparatus comprising: a headband including a first end and a second end, the headband forming a substantially circular shape with an opening; a first pair of eyelets extending through the first end adjacent to the opening; and a second pair of eyelets extending through the second end adjacent to the opening.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an elongate fastener threaded through at least one eyelet of the first pair and at least one eyelet of the second pair.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the elongate fastener is pulled to adjust a circumferential fit of the headband.
 18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the elongate fastener includes at least one of a shoelace, a ribbon, and a chain.
 19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first pair of eyelets and the second pair of eyelets includes an eyelet having a non-circular shape.
 20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus comprises a hat. 